Do you have great insights you could share about how websites should work? Maybe you should try making some extra money testing websites. Below is an evaluation of the website testing company UserTesting to help you decide.
Website testing company
UserTesting
www.usertesting.com
UserTesting was founded in 2007 and has their headquarters in San Francisco, California. They are completely focused on the user experience, or UX, which is all about seeing how the user interacts with a website.
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
UserTesting is rated a B+ and has been listed with the Better Business Bureau since 2017. They have received only two complaints with the last complaint in 2018. There are no customer reviews entered.
Cost to you
Registration: free
Recording software: free
Pay range
UserTesting pays you a flat rate of $10.00 USD for each “regular” test. A regular test involves you performing some scripted tasks and speaking your thoughts out loud while your screen and voice are recorded. You might find some tests are very quick while others take close to 30 minutes.
But there is another type of testing you can perform with UserTesting. Sometimes, clients want to see your facial reactions via webcam as you perform your testing.
And there are also occasions when clients want to engage with you live and ask you questions about your reactions as you test. These tests usually take longer and often require scheduling so they pay more, typically around $60.00 USD.
Payment method
UserTesting only pays through PayPal and they pay only in USD currency. To ensure you can receive payment:
- When you register, ensure the email you use for registration is the same email you use for PayPal
- If you registered with a different email, then you need to add that email to your PayPal account
Payment frequency
UserTesting pays you exactly seven days after you complete a test – that’s per test. So, you’ll receive payments on any day of the week based on when you performed the tests.
For example, if you complete a test on Sunday evening, then you’ll be paid on the next Sunday. They’re very reliable.
Report submission
With UserTesting website testing the tests themselves are the actual reports. So once you’ve completed the test there is no additional reporting required.
You download their recording software on all the devices you’ll use for testing. Then you perform the testing while the software records your screen and your voice.
Website and Mobile App usability
You can use a variety of devices with UserTesting: computer/laptop, smartphone, or tablet. The UserTesting website/app lists the tests available and from there you usually need to complete a “screener”. This is a pre-test that makes sure you fit the criteria defined by the client to make the test useful to them. If you fit the criteria (you “pass” the screener) then you can begin the test and their recording software starts automatically.
The website/app that lists the tests is very straight forward. The recording software, in our experience, has worked very well and is reliable. The recording software for UserTesting does allow you to pause the recording which is very useful if you need to chase down any technical issues.
Social media
UserTesting website testing has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. But, keep in mind, these are primarily for their customers, not necessarily for their testers.
Testing Category
UserTesting focuses exclusively on usability testing. The clients write a script with instructions and sometimes questions for you.
You follow the instructions and speak out loud while your voice and your device screen are recorded. In this way, you give the client tips about the frustrating areas on their site or features you would like to see.
If you want to learn more about website testing, read How You Can Be a Website Tester!.
Test availability
UserTesting is not like a mystery shopping service provider. You won’t see a long list of tests available for you to pick from. There are more testers looking for tasks than there are tests available to perform.
UserTesting filters the tests displayed according to information in your profile when you registered. So the tests you see have a better chance of being a good fit for you.
You will receive an email when there’s a test available that fits your profile but every other tester fitting the criteria will also receive an email. So your best bet is to be logged in to the site and monitoring it when tests arrive.
There is no limit on the number of tests you can perform but the number of tests you see will depend on your quality rating.
Tester support
UserTesting provides a support form that you can enter from any device and they also provide a toll-free phone number for contact.
Generally, if you encounter a problem during testing that keeps you from continuing, you’ll need to stop the test and report the problem. The recording software provides the means to report an issue, with options to clarify the type of problem.
Unfortunately, if you cannot complete the test, you won’t get paid.
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What do you need?
If you want to perform testing with UserTesting website testing you should check the list below:
- Internet – you must have a reliable and safe connection and we recommend you avoid public or shared WiFi when testing
- Device – you can use your laptop (Windows or Apple) or your smartphone (Android or iOS) or a tablet (Android or iOS)
- Software – you need to download the UserTesting recording software on every device you’ll use for testing
- Headset and microphone (Optional) – these are not critical for your testing but we’ve found these make it easier to focus and the recordings are better quality
How does it work?
Are you ready to try this? Start here:
- Go to their website, www.usertesting.com, and in the top right of the primary navigation menu, click the menu option for “Get Paid to Test”
- Register with the same email address you use for PayPal
- Download the recording software on all the devices you’ll use for testing
- Take the qualification test – this is important:
- Confirms that you are not a robot
- Confirms the recording software and your setup is working
- Gives you an idea of what a typical test looks like
- Gets you comfortable with recording and speaking your thoughts out loud
- UserTesting will rate your qualification test to help you improve
- It’s not mandatory but we strongly urge you to review the two Help Center lessons: “Be a 5-star tester” and “Handling problems while testing.” We found the “Handling problems while testing” lesson to be especially useful as it’s only a matter of time before something goes wrong when you’re testing.
- Once UserTesting has rated your qualification test, your account is active and you can start doing some real tests
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Recommendation
We have done a lot of tests with UserTesting and rate it very highly:
- Test availability – we’ve had decent success being offered tests but we also login each day and monitor the site so we can accept them quickly
- Tester support – we’ve submitted a few issues through the Help Center and they’ve always responded, however you shouldn’t expect the response to be quick enough to fix the test you’re working on at that moment
- Pay range – most of the tests are just fine for the pay rate and only occasionally have we seen tests that are way too long
- Payment – they pay on time, exactly seven days after test completion
- Test listing website/app – the tests dashboard is straight forward and easy to navigate
- Recording software – recording begins automatically when you’ve started a test
Have you worked with this website testing company?
What were your experiences?
Do you agree with this evaluation or have some suggestions of your own?
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